What Are the Dangers of Playgrounds Near Water?

Water is a dangerous element to have near playgrounds. According to the website Kids' Health, it only takes 2 inches of water for a child to drown, so the playground doesn't even need to be near a large body of water to pose danger. Also keep in mind the contamination and hypothermia dangers potentially present in bodies of water that can become a risk to children.

Drowning

• Playground set up near water create a risk of drowning for the children playing near the water. Children should never have access sitting pools or bodies of water when playing at a playground, so check to ensure a tall fence or barrier separates the playground from any nearby bodies of water.

Contamination

• Water can hold a great deal of contamination, so children should never play in or drink water from unknown sources. If pools, puddles, lakes, oceans, rivers or fountains are near a playground, children run the risk of becoming sick from exposure to the water through consumption or open wounds.

Hypothermia

• If children become wet from water, their body, hair and clothes can become chilled from the combination of cold water and cold air. Children's small bodies can become hypothermic if this happens, so they should not be in playgrounds near water where they are at risk from becoming wet and cold.

Currents

• Rivers and oceans pose an even more powerful threat than sitting water. Currents can easily sweep children away, resulting in serious injury or death. Keep playgrounds are far enough away from these water dangers so a child cannot wander near moving water or slip into it accidentally.